


Not The Cheating Type

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Original Character - Freeform, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2001-06-30
Updated: 2001-06-30
Packaged: 2019-05-15 11:13:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14789438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: CJ tries to control her love life.





	1. Not The Cheating Type

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

 

Not The Cheating Type#1- Love Triangle Gone Wrong

Summary- CJ tried to control her spinning love life....CJ/new, CJ/Danny, and CJ/????

Feedback- Please! Tell me what you think... 

Notes- Keep in mind I'm young and I'm not as informed in Poli-Sci as other authors, so I prefer to get into personal lives and not technical stuff...I dont want to look dumb! Tell me if that's ok with you guys, or if I really should be paying more attention to Jim Lehrer....lol

Disclaimer- I don't own any characters...except "Trent"...all belonmg to Aaron Sorkin (we still love you!)

and NBC, you know the technical phrases. No profit is being made.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Read on!~

 

CJ had just finished the morning briefing and was feeling a lot more wiped out than she usually was at 9:00 in the morning. She had been bombarded with question about her and the senior staff being supoened and was treading the same line she had on the night of the shooting. It seemed as if the administration always had their worst days on the not so merry month of May. She continued her stroll back to her office.

"CJ, you have the senior staff meeting in 10."

"Yeah," she answered as she rushed to envelop herself in her office and down an asprin.

She entered, closed the doorr, knelt to her briefcase and took out the asprin.

"Seems as though I go through a bottle of these twice a month."

"Those cause liver damadge, you know."

CJ jumped to the sound of his voice.

"God, Trent, don't do that," she said finding him on her couch.

"Ok, but I brought you something."

CJ smiled as she was handed flowers.

"I heard about you being supoened, so I thought these might cheer-up your day."

He was a witty 38 year-old, around CJ's height and his brown hair was tousled with that 'I just woke-up,' look.

"Thank you," she said, placing them in a jar with the roses he had brought her a week ago.

"I, uh, I woke-up and you were gone once again, so I thought I'd pass by on my way to work."

"Yeah, sorry. Did you eat the pancakes?"

"Yeah."

"All of them?"

"Well, no, one is going to be my lunch."

"Ok."

CJ ran a hand through her hair as she finally sat down behind her desk. She took a look at her first boyfriend in a long time and wondered about the upcoming weeks.

"CJ? CJ? You spaced out there, on me," he said standing once again in front of her.

"Sorry. Listen, Trent, the following weeks are going to be really hard, so I just wanted you to know-"

"CJ, are you dumping me," he said looking at her with his green eyes.

"No. No! I was just saying that if I space out it's not cause, you know, I don't want you around, it's cause of all the grand jury business," she answered putting her arms around him.

"Yeah, I understand. I mean, I'll be there for you if you need me."

CJ smiled as he kissed her.

"CJ-"

Josh entered the office and smirked at what he saw.

"Y-Yes, Josh," she said, rather embarrassed.

"Leo sent me to get you for staff."

"Yeah. I'll be right there."

"Okey doke," he said smiling as he left.

"I'll see you later then?"

"You bet," she said giving him one last kiss.

She watched him leave and her face dropped as she saw Josh waiting for her in the hallway.

"Josh, how many times have I told you to knock?"

"CJ, how many times have I told you to put the 'I'm making out, come back later' sign?"

"It is not a time for your sarcastic jokes."

"You're lucky I came instead of Leo, God, would that have been good."

"Leo knocks Josh. He is a knocking kind of person."

"And I am not?"

"No, you are a ' I don't care, I'm here' kind of person," she answered as they entered Leo's office.

"Ok then."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hey, CJ, stay here a sec."

The senior staff dispersed as CJ inhaled and turned to face Leo again.

"Just wanted to tell you that Danny Concannon's returned today."

"Ok."

"CJ, I'm just telling you to-"

"Leo, you do know that I have been going out with someone for the past 2 weeks, and besides, why do you guys keep on thinking that-"

"He's a good looking guy, CJ. He gave you that frog you have-"

"Goldfish, Leo. Goldfish."

"See, there you go, I'm just saying-"

"Yeah, yeah. I'll see you later."

"I'm only saying that us Irish guys are pretty darn good-"

"Leo?" she asked turning around.

"You get the idea."

"Yeah," she said smirking as she left.

~~~~~~~

"CJ, will the grand jury affect the Administration in any other ways besides the ones you just described?"

"Annie, the Bartlet Administration will be continued to be focused on the issues that the American people want to be debated upon and re-election. That is all."

CJ left the podium waving off any other questions.

"Carol, you need to get me some more answers to that question cause I'm running out of them."

"Yeah," Carol said as she left CJ.

CJ slowed down her pace as she smelled something she hadn't in the past month. She entered her office nd turned quickly.

 

"Danny?"

"The one and only," he answered turning the corner to her office.

"Hey."

"Hey back," he answered watching 'their' goldfish swim around a Christmas tree.

"Christmas is long gone, CJ."

"I've been busy, and besides, why take it out when I put it back in a few months anyway?"

"Uh-huh. I bet you still have your christmas lights at your house hanging off the windows."

"I actually never got to hanging them up."

"Someone needs to teach you how."

"And I'm sure you're going to offer me how."

"I wasn't but now that you mention it."

CJ smiled as he closed the door behind him.

"CJ, I've missed you. I mean, France was nice and all, but I did miss you."

"I'm sure it was nice," she said trying to drop the subject.

"CJ, I'm thinking of being an editor, again."

"That won't change my-"

"Come on, CJ," he asked taking her hand to make her stand.

"Danny there are several reasons why and a couple new ones I've added."

"Let me remind you why, you shouldn't pay attention to those reasons."

"What do you intend to-"

Danny pressed his lips against hers as she was quickly silenced. She was shocked, then her mind took off without her. She accepted the kiss, and began to put her hands through his hair as she once had a long time ago. She felt his hand run alongside her back and then was awakened sharply. She pushed him away as he began to run a hand through her hair.

"Danny, I-I need to tell you-"

"Don't tell me anything," he said feeling a sense of triumph after feeling she needing him too. "Just think about us and I'll see you at the end of the day."

"Danny-"

"End of the day," he said leaving.

"Oh crap."

~~~~~~~~~~~

CJ's day had passed slow, and she was accused of spacing out on meeting several times. Of course she was spacing out, she told herself. She had just successfully topped Sam's scandal with Laurie. She was now cheating on the Senate Minority's deputy chief of staff with the Washington's Post Senior Correspondant to the White House. Talk about a love triangle. She didn't love Danny, it was more of a reaction, she convinced herself. She really liked Trent. So why the hell did she make out with Danny? That was the question that needed an answer, and the question that could ruin it all.

"CJ? CJ?"

"Yeah, I'm here," she answered as she looked upon a worried Josh in her office.

"CJ, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"CJ, I've known you for a long time, now, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"CJ-"

"Listen, on my list of what's wrong, there's 12 chapters, and footnotes to make Toby jealous."

"CJ, I'm your friend, now, tell me."

"Josh, I really can't."

"CJ," he said looking her in the eyes, "Tell me."

"Josh, today Trent came over, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Well, after that. Leo told me that Danny was back again and to watch out."

"Uh-huh."

"So, after my briefing Danny stops by and somehow I end up in his arms."

"CJ."

"Kissing him, Josh. I kissed, him."

Josh shook his head as he sat next to his best friend and held her as he saw her glassy eyes.

"I'm not the cheating type, Josh. I didn't set out to kiss Danny, you know. It just, like happened."

"I know you're not. Thing is, will Trent trust you enough to know that too."

"Josh, I'm going to lose him. That's what always happens. When I need someone, they all run away."

"I'm here, CJ. And I'm not running away."

CJ smiled as he wiped her tears.

"Listen, you know what you should do. Go to Trent's tonight, and tell him what you told me. Then fix Danny. Hopefully, he'll see that it didn't mean anything, right?"

"Josh, it didn't mean anything. I think."

"CJ, you gotta do better than I think."

"I don't know. I need to just think.To do just that."

"Ok. Then scratch out going to Trent's until you find out. Hey, and pass by my office later, Donna has the kind of coffee that you like."

"Yes, Joshua."

"Anytime," he said heading to go out.

"And aren't you surprised how good I got at this? I mean I can basically be Dr. Love by now."

"Get out of here, Josh," she said chuckling.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THAT NIGHT

 

CJ had called Danny's house twice and left a message explaining that he shouldn't see her tomorrow. That she needed to think about what he said, and hoped that would get him off her back. She lounged in her townhome in pajamas as she held a picture of Trent and her taken one week ago and thought about what would happen next. She was finally beginning to figure it all out when the doorbell rang.

"Trent, hi," she said finding him at her door.

"Hey CJ. Mind if I come in? I called but you weren't at your office."

"No, come on in."

CJ hung up his jacket and noticed his new spiked hair.

"Nice spikes," she said smiling at him.

"Thank you," he said taking her hand in his.

"So? Do I get a tour? I mean, I was here last night, but I really didn't look around."

"Yeah. Well, as you can see, here's my messy living room, full of reports," she said.

"And then my kitchen. Notice the hanging food utensils. Next the den, my laptop, and stereo. And last but definitely not least, my bedroom."

She extended her arm out as Trent entered the bedroom with her.

"Nice. So, Ms. Tour guide anything else you'd like to show me?"

"I don't know, anything you want to see? I didn't think you wanted to see the bathroom."

Trent laughed as he brushed away a hair from her face.

"Can I touch?" she asked, pointing to his spikes.

"Go right ahead."

He watched her feel the spikes the hair dresser had made and then she lowered her hand to his face.

"I really need to tell you something."

"Me too. Can I go first?"

"Yeah," she said noting his dimples.

"Ok, I am in love with the smartest, sexiest woman alive. And one more thing," he said pulling her in as he kissed her.

She once again forgot about the announcement she was yet to make as his hands rubbed her back.

"Trent," she said as he began to kiss her neck.

"shh."

He rose back up as he kissed her once again silencing her as he began to unbutton her blouse. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CJ lay in bed as she stared at the ceiling and wondered about how she had been able to completely forget about her announcement. His hand was outstretched around her and she couldn't sleep. Not only was she now beginning to think that she was 'the cheathing type,' but that she actually enjoyed it. That was the worst thing that she could have done, next to make out with Danny. She didn't know what to do. She could take her college roomate's advice, and "Play them." Or, she could take what her brother had told her after he found out what his then girlfriend did, "Stick to one, it sucks to be the other guy." She didn't know what to do. Tomorrow, she told herself, she would tell the one person who could understand her mind.....

~~~~~~~~~~~

NEXT MORNING

CJ buried herself in work, and received various dirty looks from Josh after she had told him that she had in a way, forgotten, about her announcement to Trent and ended up with him spending the night. She could tell that this was probably a flashback from one of Josh's past relationships, and wanted to get his out of the way faster. So, she sped up her work pace and counted down to lunch time, when she could talk to the one who understood her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NOON

CJ sat in her office with her back to her explaining her ordeal.

"So, I kissed him, the I tried to tell him about Trent, but he told me to tell him tomorrow and to think about 'us'

and all that. So, I gave myself the guilt trip, and went home. After that, Trent stopped by, and he.....uh, somehow ended up spending the night. So the question is what to do."

"CJ."

"Yeah?"

"I mean, oh my god."

"That's all you have for me?"

"I'm just saying , oh my god."

"We covered that area of vocabulary already."

"CJ, you are so not the cheating type! I mean, I am, but you? God, that's a real shocker."

"What's so unbelievable?"

"That two guys would-"

"What? They would what?"

"Would you know, I mean....Is there a way for me to get out of this conversation?"

"Not now, particularly."

CJ stood to face her as her visitor tried to come up with something.

"Well, I mean, you'rewhat, fort- uh, late twenties?"

"You are really screwing up left and right here, you know that?"

"Well, however chronologically gifted you may be, I'm trying to say...."

"Say what? God, just spit it out!"

"Well, hear ye, hear ye, play them."

"Donna? Donna? Tell you you said tell them."

"No," the secretary said, rubbing her temples, "I said play them. I mean, have a fling with Danny, have one with Trent. Then say, that it's not working out and it's over."

"What if, I, let's say, am in love with both of them?"

"Then, chose the hottest one to keep."

"Donna!"

"That way I can have the other."

"Donna, you truly are amazing. I mean, would you do this?"

"Well, no, but this is you! Not me."

"Well, that's a penny's worth of advice."

CJ paced in her office as Donna watched her strides.

"I think I should keep Trent. I mean, think about, what if the press smells blood and goes after me when they find out that I have 2! It would basically mean my head for lunch. Let's just say I keep Danny, that would have my head for lunch. It would so totally kill me. Trent, on the other hand, is a Chief of Staff for the minority leader, and a democrat. No conflict of interest. No pain."

"That is true. But Danny has that very nice-"

"Donna. Please. Control yourself."

Donna blushed as she stopped day dreaming.

"So, that's it. I'm going to call Danny and explain it was a mistake and it won't happen again."

"Good. Do just that."

"Thank you, Donna. Oh, and don't tell Josh you were here."

"Why?"

"He'll ask you for *all* the details, trust me."

"Ok. I'll see you later then?"

"Yup. Thanks," she said while dialing Danny's number.

"CJ," she called out as she re-opened the door, "These just came for you."

"Oh, thanks," she said as Donna placed a boquet on her desk.

"Danny? Hey, it's CJ. About last evening....."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	2. Not The Cheating Type 2

 

Not the Cheating Type #2 - Over Coffee

See part 1 for disclaimer

 

 

 

CJ smirked as she read the card after placing a very depressing phone call to Danny. It read, 'Thanks for the nice evening,' and wasn't signed. Trent, she assumed, it had to be. She decided to give him a call.

"Trent? It's CJ."

"Hey, how are you," she heard him say.

"Great. Hey thanks for the flowers," she said smelling them once more. "They're great."

"Flowers? CJ, I didn't send any flowers."

CJ's mind raced into what to say. Had it been Danny, she would go over the guilt trip once again.

"Oh, sorry, that's right, it was a friend," she lied.

"O-Ok. CJ, what friend?"

"Uh....um, Jo- Sam."

"Joe or Sam? CJ, are you not telling me something?"

"Well....listen, can I come over after work?"

"Yeah, you bet."

"Ok, I'll tell you then."

"Great," he answered before hanging up.

"And I have just been served."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TRENT'S HOME

"Hey," she said as Trent answered the door.

"Hi. So, what's the deal?"

"Well," she said noticing he was just in boxers and his undershirt, "I need to confess to something."

"Go right ahead."

"Last week, an old friend stopped by my office. We chatted about his last travel and then I did something that I know was wrong. I kissed him. And, I'm sorry, but I think he sent the flowers too."

"CJ, that's just great. I mean I have been screwed over in relationships since the beginning of time and-"

"Trent," a voice said from the bedroom.

"...I think it's women like you who-"

"Trent, who else is here?"

"No one."

"Trent, come back here you sexy man."

 

CJ stood there as she witnessed a woman come out of his bedroom wearing one of his shirts.

"Trent?"

CJ stood between Trent and the mystery woman.

"CJ, this is-"

"Save it. And you know what, the words 'screwed over' were plaved perfectly in sync with her appearing. Have a nice life Trent," she said as she walked out the door.

The woman stared at Trent with an evil eye.

"Who was that?"

"White House Press Secretary and my now ex."

"Oh."

~~~~~~~~~

"And so I high tailed it out of there," CJ spoke into her cellphone while driving DuPont Circle.

"That had to be an all-time high for you."

"Oh, yeah."

"Do you want to, maybe grab a cup of coffee, it's only nine."

"Uh.....sure, Josh."

CJ made a u-turn quickly and hoped no cops were around as she made her way to Josh's.

~~~~~~~~

"Hey, Josh."

"Hey yourself. So, do you want to come in or shall we go now," he said as he grabbed his jacket.

"Let's just head out now."

"Ok."

Josh jumped down the steps as CJ waited for him on the sidewalk.

"My car or yours?"

"Well," he answered, "You have a BMW, I have a Volvo....yours!"

CJ smirked as she tossed him the keys to her precious car.

"Easy, Josh, she's not used to pedal to the metal," CJ said as Josh geared up.

"Well, Papa's taking it for a ride."

"Ok, ok, out."

"What?"

"Switch me seats."

"Why?"

"Because I don't trust you with my car which took a long time to save up to."

"Fine."

Josh stayed in the driver's seat as CJ crouched and jumped over the gears to hover above Josh.

"Josh...move."

"Right, right," he said, feeling self-conscious for staying there, observing the view.

"Ok, back to business."

CJ geared up just as Josh did and made Josh raise an eye brow.

"You don't trust me?"

"No. Now put your seat belt on."

~~~~~~~~

CJ sipped her double latte as Josh walked back from the cashier.

"So, we just paid double for one export which has lowered its price by 50%."

"Yeah, but we can sit here, and drink coffee in artsy chairs."

"Definitely," Josh answered as he added sugar to his coffee.

"So...we've talked about my horrendous love life, what about yours?"

"Mine, is, uh, in a limbo of sorts."

"Yeah?"

"Well, there's this one woman who I find perfect in every way, but I'm afraid of losing her as a friend and coworker if I ever told her," Josh answered.

"Ah, yes. I think I have the same problem."

"Danny?"

"No, no. I mean, I always have the problem of becoming friends with everyone and when I finally get to see them as more than a friend, they back off. And you? Donna?"

"No. She's nothing more than a mom closer to home."

"Yeah."

CJ and Josh stared silently at each other as CJ made circles alone her coffee cup. Suddenly, a young woman passed by, gently tapping CJ's elbow and causing CJ's coffee to spill.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!"

The woman apologized to CJ over and over again as Josh jumped to his feet to clean CJ.

"It's alright," CJ said as she waved the woman off.

"Are you ok, CJ?"

"Coffee stains come out, I'll live," she answered as Josh helped cleaned her shirt.

"Ok."

The pair continued to wipe the table as they stood to leave.

"Wait, aren't you Josh Lyman?"

"Yeah," Josh answered while giving a hand out to CJ to stand.

"Awesome! I'm, like, you're biggest fan. I watched you with Mary Marsh years ago, and you were totally right in what you were saying. I prayed for you when- I'm sorry, aren't you CJ Cregg?"

"Yes," CJ said, noting that Josh wasn't the only one who had groupies.

"Wow! I'm really glad that a woman is the face of the White House. You do a great job. Could you both sign this for me," she finished handing them her notebook.

"Sure."

Josh signed as he passed it along to CJ.

"Here you go," CJ said as she gave the girl her notebook.

"Thanks! I didn't know you two were a couple. Anyway, I'm voting for you. Bye!"

CJ and Josh stood there as she walked away, leaving them both to analyze her last sentence.

"You're not the only one who has groupies," CJ said, stopping the silence.

"Yeah, you'd be amazed how many Toby has," Josh said as they walked out.

CJ laughed as she walked out to her car with Josh.

"I even think he has a fan club base, right?"

"You bet," Josh said while he starpped his seat belt on.

CJ turned and smiled as she drove back to Josh's house.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LATER THAT NIGHT

CJ sat on Josh couch as he ran around pushing files off his furniture.

"Sorry for the mess, I wasn't expecting company."

"Don't worry about it," CJ answered as she noticed that Josh had never cleaned up for her before.

Josh nodded as he finally picked up the final file and put it away.

"you know, maybe I should go, I mean, I know you have a breakfast meeting with Gilette and-"

"No, no. Stay, talk."

"Ok."

CJ smiled as Josh came out and sat next to her.

"Josh I don't think there's much more to talk about. We've talked about my life, yours, adn well, there's not much left."

"CJ, do you think Bartlet has a chance of re-election."

"Josh I'm not-"

"Cj, what do you think?"

"I, Josh, I think we're in deep shit."

"Yeah," Josh answered as rubbed a hand across his face.

"I mean, we are going to win this, but we have a whole moutain range to climb over first."

Josh laughed softly while CJ leaned back.

"We are going to win this, I know it. We are going to beat the grand jury, the republicans, and the press."

"Leave the press to me," CJ smiled.

"I'll take the republicans, then."

"Yeah. Speaking of grand jury, we should be getting ready, the 21 of May is coming and..."

Josh zoned out as he thought about what happened last May 21st.

"Josh? Josh, I'm sorry," she said finally noting he was staring at the wall behind her.

"I'm sorry."

Josh nodded and sat there silent while CJ moved over to embrace him.

"I love you, CJ."

"I love you too."

The sat on his couch silently as she began to cry.CJ dried her eyes as she let go for a minute to stand.

"Josh, it's late I should go."

"Don't, please."

Josh stood next to her as he held her hand while they looked out the window.

"When, when I was unconscious that night, I remembered different moments from the campaign. Nashua, Sam, Super tuesday. The one that I remember the most clearly was when I took you out for dinner and you lashed out at me telling me that I was nothing but a cocky liberal...."

"I was drunk, Josh, are you going to keep on blackmailing me with that?"

"That was the best night, CJ. We danced to the kareoke music and then after that we just became best friends. I'll never forget that night."

CJ smiled as she remembered parts of that night.

"Yeah, it was," she said moving into his arms.

"It was like the scene in-"

"Enough of scenes, Josh."

Josh smiled as she leaned her head against his.

"Would you mind if I kissed you," Josh asked, manner-of-factly.

CJ raised an eye-brow at his question.

"Sure."

"Sure, you'll mind?"

"No, now shut up and kiss me," she said while their lips connected.

CJ kept a hand on his neck and moved another to rummage through his hair. Josh rubbed her back as the kiss deepened.

"C-CJ," he said while putting a finger to her mouth momentarily.

"Yeah," she said shaken.

"This isn't a rebound."

"No."

"Ok," he said moving his mouth back to hers.  
~~~~~~~~~

THE NEXT MORNING

 

"They are so going to catch us," CJ said wearing one of Josh's shirts as she walked into his kitchen.

"I don't think so."

"Josh, my car is outside."

"You think Leo had you tailed?"

"No, but-"

"Don't worry about it, we are fine."

"You're right," she answered as she sat to eat some of the pancaked he finished cooking.

"Yes, I am. Now, sit down and eat before we are late," he answered while he rubbed the back of her neck.

"Ok."

CJ smiled as she took in a bite.

 


End file.
